AUTHENTIC

TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’  

Prompt ~ AUTHENTIC 

AUTHENTIC

by John Yeo

What does calling something authentic actually mean?

If the sense of identification proves it’s actually real

Could one prove the authenticity of it, sight unseen?

~

I suddenly woke this morning from a realistic dream

The power of the images was unbelievably surreal

What does calling something authentic actually mean?

~

I pinched myself when things were not what they seem

An alternative reality that would be difficult to conceal

Could one prove the authenticity of life, sight unseen?

~

A parallel experience that seemed alien to my lifestream

Both lives were familiar as part of  life’s spinning wheel

What does calling something authentic actually mean?

~

If I lived permanently ensconced in the life of my dream

Reality as I know it would be a world that’s unreal 

Could one prove the authenticity of a life sight unseen?

~

Would a schizophrenic personality somehow glean

Peace of mind with a new turn of the balance wheel? 

What does calling a life authentic actually mean?

Could one prove the authenticity of it, sight unseen?

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

JIM

MONDAY 19th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’  

Prompt ~ PARALLEL

Who would you like to have to spend a day with and what do you hope you’d learn from the experience?

JIM

by John Yeo

Everyone calls him Jim, who really cares?
He stands with his hand out every day
Never says a word, just stands and stares 

On the same corner of the highway
I always put a coin in his hand as I pass,
He never smiles, just stares straight ahead.
I often wonder about his life in the past
One day I caught his eye and I said.

~
‘I know who you are, It was a mystery.
I think you are certainly out of place
I have weaved your life into a history
The fall must have hurt but it’s no disgrace.’
Jim looked shocked and angry.
For the first time ever, he actually spoke.
‘I have to beg for food as I’m hungry!
I was wealthy once but now I’m broke.’

~
The voice was nervous, and cultured
Betraying the roots of fine living.
I had guessed a good life was ruptured
Destroyed by cruel fate, unforgiving.
‘I have written a new turn for your story.’
I said, as I put a coin in his hand.
‘You will now be covered in glory
I am a writer you understand.’

~
Everyone called him Jim, who really cared?
He stood with his hand out every day
Never said a word, just stood and stared.
On the same corner of the same highway.
The original Jim was a sad mystery
An unhappy life confined to history.

The bad breaks in his life sadly failed 

A feeling of lost hopelessness prevailed.

Copyright © written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

I would in reality like to spend a day with a character like Jim to learn his story and how he came to find himself in this unfortunate position.

HALLO, WHO’S THERE?

SUNDAY 18th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’  

Prompt ~ UNKNOWN CALLER
You receive a call from an unexpected person. Who is it, and what is the conversation about? Go!

HALLO, WHO’S THERE?

by John Yeo

​   ’Hallo! who’s there?

Sorry, I’m a little hard of hearing lately, since my husband passed away. Can you speak up please dear?’ 

‘What’s that you say you’re not selling anything? That’s OK! I have nothing to spend my money on, I don’t need much.’

‘Oh! You say you want to make lots of money for me. I don’t need any more cash at the moment thanks.’

 ‘You sound like a nice young man. I bet you are wealthy, if you can show people how to get rich quickly. Are you married?’

  ‘It’s so good to have someone to talk to. I get lonely here on my own. I spoke to someone this morning and we had such a lovely long chat. He wanted to sell me something nice, I asked for more details. I explained my situation clearly, so nice to have a friendly ear. He asked for my bank details in such a nice helpful way.

I asked him if he was married and how things were with him.

He finally got exasperated and rudely slammed down the phone.’

’Hallo! who’s there?

   You say my computer needs a new service plan!

Tell me more, sounds interesting, so nice to have a chat.

What is your name and where do you live? I would love to meet you and get serviced by you. Are you a married man?’

‘You would like to have my bank details to start the service plan?

Great to hear a friendly voice. Give me your bank details first! We can then plan a future together.’

‘So nice to have someone to talk to. What’s your name and where do you live?’

 ‘Hello! Hello! Oh, he’s gone, I thought I heard the phone slam down only I’m a little hard of hearing now.’

’Hallo! who’s there?

“Hello! Yes, Double Glazing? That sounds so interesting .

I would love to hear more about that, you have such a friendly voice.

What? You haven’t got time for a chat? I love the sound of your voice. Who knows we could become really good friends. I might even buy some new windows, in a few years time.

Are you really going to cut me off before we get to know one another?

Call me again, just say hello. I promise to never hang up the phone;

It’s so good to have someone to talk to, I get lonely here on my own.

​Oh! Please don’t cut me off yet.

Bang!

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

ANTIMATTER

SATURDAY 17th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’  

Prompt FRET

ANTIMATTER

by John Yeo

Antimatter should have annihilated all of the matter in the universe after the Big Bang.
An example of the fight between Good and Evil.
Certainly a reason to have a bit of a fret.

~

When love arrives, in a thin disguise,
Things worth caring for should really matter.

Does it really matter if I fall in love with antimatter?
When matter meets antimatter all dreams must shatter.
Matter can be warm and wonderful.
Could this be a reason to have a bit of a fret.

~

When antimatter meets matter they immediately annihilate into energy.
Explosive energy that can be cruel.
Antimatter can be explosively cool.
Now that’s a reason to have a bit of a fret.

~

Antimatter is closer to you than you think.
Bananas produce antimatter, I love the taste of Bananas
Radioactive molecules that emit antimatter 

Particles are used for  P. E. T. imaging.
Reflections of illness within the bodies of infinite caring.
Certainly a reason to have a bit of a fret.

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

Bananas produce antimatter, releasing one positron—the antimatter equivalent of an electron—about every 75 minutes. This occurs because bananas contain a small amount of potassium-40, a naturally occurring isotope of potassium. As potassium-40 decays, it occasionally spits out a positron in the process.

(Information courtesy of a Google search).

ROBIN HOOD

FRIDAY 16th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt CRANK

ROBIN HOOD 

(A villanelle-style poem)
by John Yeo

I was out strolling in the market square
A cranky bandit could clearly be seen
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

People stopped still and stood to stare
This was an event that couldn’t be a dream
I was out strolling in the market square.

He was handing out cash with more to spare
To the needy poor in a steady stream
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

People started jostling to get a share
Of free money from the cranky villain 

I was out strolling in the market square.

The cranky villain appeared from nowhere

With his men all matched in Lincoln green

Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

Robbing the rich to feed the poor, unaware
Of his crimes he was rushed off the scene.
I was out strolling in the market square
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

~

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

MY SONG

THURSDAY 15th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ SONG

MY SONG

by John Yeo

My natural song is music to my ear
Resounding around my comfortable chair,
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

The magic of the song swirls far and near,
Harmony soaking through melodic air;
My natural song is music to my ear.

~

Smooth melodies drifting sweetly clear,
Sounds around my chair answer a prayer;
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

Life becomes love becomes music clear;
A dreamy soulful symphony where
My natural song is music to my ear.

~

Trance becomes a pre-hypnotic tear,
Memories sing of a future I will share
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

The music with my chair wings steer
My mind to crystal clarity without care.
The natural sound of music to my ear
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

WEDNESDAY 14th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

S/he said
Pause whatever you’re doing, and ask the person nearest you what they’re thinking about (call someone if you have to). Write a post based on it.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

by John Yeo

 The person seated next to me responded with ‘I’m reading the newspaper.’  Which happened to be an online version of the ‘Daily Mail.’  I am aware that one of the prime reasons for this  choice of newspaper is the crossword puzzles and mind games that go some way to the alleviation and defence against dementia. The news is almost a bi-product of the investment in purchasing the newspaper. I then asked,

‘What would you be reading if it wasn’t for the puzzles and mind games? In that particular newspaper?

 The unsurprising reply came as, ‘I’m not sure, probably The Independent.’ This reply was obviously based on the more serious aspect of buying a newspaper as an independent slant on the news.

   This response got me thinking about the influences that shape the mind. Most people’s habits of thought and inspiration come from the newspapers that we tend to devour on a daily basis. A constant flow of opinion and the slants on what is happening in the world is ingested and percolated from our reading habits. Usually our choice of newspaper is not so much dictated by our parents, but largely influenced by their choice of newspaper. Until we get to our further education establishment where we develop our own instinctual choices. 

 The wide variety of news sources today allows us to ingest the news in many different ways including the single daily take of our regular morning newspapers.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

by John Yeo

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘The trail is very obscure,
Many twists and turns
Millions have come this way
The path is very well worn.’

~

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Across the seas, another shore,
There are many signs,
Many corners, many directions,
Many examples to follow.’

~

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘One door unlocks another door,
The instinct quickly learns
The only way is forward,
Be kind, be gentle, be firm.’

~

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Your trail began at birth,
Already the myriad clues and signs
Were building a pattern to follow.
The learning never ends.’

© Written by John Yeo, All rights reserved.

THE HEAD MAN’S DECISION

 MONDAY 12th APRIL 2021

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~

Prompt ~ DECISIONS, DECISIONS

How are you more likely to make an important decision — by reasoning through it, or by going with your gut?

Personally I tend to tailor my decisions to the situation I am making the decision about, as I humorously describe in my little piece of poetic Flash Fiction below.

THE HEAD MAN’S DECISION 

by John Yeo

I made up my mind to take action

Entirely fed up with the situation

I decided to make a firm decision 

To resolve the ongoing friction.

~

The moment passed in a flash

My finger was on the button.

Do you realise what you are doing?

Have you thought of the side effects?

~

I stopped and my finger hovered,

I had thought the whole thing through,

The good that would come of the effect.

I firmly returned to my intention.

~

I thought of the change this would bring

To the future of my head appearance

I looked in the mirror, raised the can

Then firmly pressed the button.

~

A jet of hairspray solved the problem.

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

THE FROTH OF A CONMAN

SUNDAY 11th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt FROTH

FROTH

by John Yeo

  The conundrum for the day was how to turn a seemingly ordinary five letter word like froth into an interesting Blog post. 

   My ever-creative mind conjured a situation where my main character; call him Phil, a go ahead young man who unwittingly has become the target of Silas, a smooth-talking con man. Phil has engineered a number of lucrative deals for his employer HMQ and is in receipt of a generous bonus. 

  Silas has arranged a meet to discuss some dodgy investments. Realisation of the situation has set in for Phil, but curiosity drove him to attend the ill-starred meeting.

 I wrote a villanelle style poem to describe the meeting and the outcome. 

 After all this is poetry month and so far I’ve completed a poem-a-day……

THE FROTH OF A CONMAN   

by John Yeo

I avoided getting caught in his intricate web,
Becoming just another part of his vocal froth;
With guarded responses I never turned my head.

~

I kept my distance stayed free instead,

I’m part of a suit tailored from a different cloth,
I avoided getting caught in his intricate web.

~

The froth on his promises never soaked my bread;
The smart trickster used words to subtly rebuff,
With guarded responses I never turned my head.

~

The inn where we met was a place to dread,
Our meeting started smooth then dirty and rough

 As I avoided getting caught in his intricate web.

~
I escaped clean away quickly or I’d be dead,
Using my ingrained logic, I stayed my wrath;

With guarded responses I never turned my head.

~

I avoided the invitation to join in the thread
Of broken promises stirred into a palatable broth;
I avoided getting caught in his intricate web,
With guarded responses I never turned my head.

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

LUMINESCENT AQUAMARINE

SATURDAY 10th APRIL 2021 ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt ~ LUMINESCENT

Photo credit by Kris Williams

BIOLUMINESCENCE 

by John Yeo

Photographers and nature lovers have been watching bioluminescent plankton glowing off the Welsh coast.

Bioluminescence describes the light that some living creatures, such as fireflies and jellyfish, emit from their cells.

Photographer Kris Williams captured the above sighting in  Beaumaris, Anglesey in Wales.

  To discover vivid natural bioluminescent plankton, one of the best places is in the Indian Ocean.

Travellers to  the exotic waters, surrounding the islands of the Maldives, may be treated to a dazzling natural phenomenon that turns the night-time ocean into a field of glowing stars.

As waves break on the sandy shore, or bare feet step into wet sand, a bright blue glow appears. This magical effect is caused by the bioluminescent plankton that often appears in warm coastal waters. 

A trip to the Maldives could be on our bucket list when we are finally allowed to travel again.

LUMINESCENT AQUAMARINE

By John Yeo

Aqua, a description of water,

Marine, a perfectly placid sea.

Blue, a reflection of heaven

The watery world we inhabit.

Aquamarine is the colour of our orb.

Bioluminescence is caused by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Vividly flashing a pale blue light.

~

Earth is blue in the black of space,

Water, our lifeblood, the key.

All life washed ashore from the blue sea

Covering the land with our family.

Aquamarine is the colour of life.

Bioluminescence is created by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Emitting a pale blue aura.

~

Translucent depths of a metal hue,

A moon at night of a deep dark blue.

Reflecting a seascape of luminescence

Thoughtful deep dreams in the blue half-light

Aquamarine is the colour of night.

Bioluminescence is created by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Shining with a pale blue aura.

©~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved